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Numerous analytical models have been developed to predict ground deformations induced by tunneling, which is a critical issue in tunnel engineering. However, the accuracy of these predictions is often limited by errors and uncertainties resulting from model selection and parameter fittings, given the paucity of monitoring data in field settings. This paper proposes a novel approach to estimate tunnelling-induced ground deformations by applying Bayesian model averaging to several representative prediction models. By accounting for both model and parameter uncertainties, this approach enables more realistic predictions of ground deformations than individual models. Specifically, our results indicate that the Gonzalez-Sagaseta model outperforms other models in predicting ground surface settlements, while the Loganathan-Poulos model is most suitable for predicting subsurface vertical and horizontal deformations. Importantly, our analysis reveals that when monitoring data are sparse, model uncertainties may contribute up to 78.7% of the total uncertainties. Thus, obtaining sufficient data for parameter fitting is crucial for accurate predictions. The proposed method in this study offers a more realistic and efficient prediction of tunnelling-induced ground deformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any benefits resulting from the forty-year international ban on the rhino horn trade have been fully exploited, and the rhino population has started to decline again even with the international trade ban. It is time to start exploring an alternative way to save rhinos by lifting the international trade ban and by reintroducing a regulated rhino horn market. This seemingly counterintuitive approach should increase the rhino population as current concerns on the rhino horn legal market are based upon the outdated assumption that people purchase rhino horns mainly for practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Recent surveys and interviews show that rhino horns are no longer obtained solely for practicing TCM. Treating and regulating the rhino horn as a consumer product creates consistency with how it is currently perceived by customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, label-free electrochemical immunosensing of the cancer biomarker carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is reported using [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as a signal probe and a copper organic framework (Cu-BTC) nanocomposite for the amplification of the signal. The immunosensor was fabricated by the following process. First, the Cu-BTC nanomaterial with a larger surface area and good biocompatibility was synthesized to improve the dispersion of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Then, nitrogen-doped graphene (N-GR) was combined with Cu-BTC to form the nanocomposite. The synthesized Cu-BTC@N-GR@AuNPs@CS nanocomposite was employed to modify the surface of the immunosensor to accelerate the electron transfer rate and improve the immobilization amount of CA19-9 antibodies (Ab). Various techniques, including TEM, SEM and XPS were used to characterize Cu-BTC and nanocomposites. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to measure the electrochemical response of the immunosensor in [Fe(CN)6]3−/4−. The signal intensity of the immunosensor was linearly changed upon increasing the concentration of CA19-9 antigen from 10 μU mL−1 to 100 U mL−1, and a detection limit of 4.2 μU mL−1 was achieved. Furthermore, the immunosensor showed good stability, reproducibility and specificity, indicating its potential application in clinical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) plays an anti-apoptotic role following ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury (IRI) in vivo; however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The present study explored the effects of miR-21 and homeodomain interacting protein kinase 3 (HIPK3) on cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro. To this end, the rat cardiomyocyte H9C2 cell line was exposed to H/R and the roles of miR-21 and HIPK3 in regulating cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 assay, terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, and flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression/phosphorylation of apoptosis-related proteins. miR-21 expression was measured with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The putative interaction between miR-21 and HIPK3 was evaluated using the luciferase reporter assay. Our results showed that (i) miR-21 overexpression or HIPK3 down-regulation significantly attenuated H9C2 cells apoptosis after H/R, (ii) suppression of miR-21 expression promoted apoptosis, (iii) miR-21 overexpression inhibited HIPK3 expression, (iv) HIPK3 was the direct and main target of miR-21, (v) miR-21/HIPK3 formed part of a reciprocal, negative feedback loop, and (vi) HIPK3 down-regulation decreased FAS-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting the phosphorylation of FADD, which subsequently inhibited the expression of BAX and cleaved caspase-3 and increased the expression of BCL2. Our study indicates that miR-21 attenuates FAS-mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis by regulating HIPK3 expression, which could eventually have important clinical implications for patients with acute myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a global agricultural trade network was constructed, and its topological characteristics from 1991 to 2021 were analysed. The influences of nine variables were empirically tested, including factor endowments and economic, geographical, and institutional factors. The research results show that the scale of trade networks is constantly expanding, and trade relations are becoming increasingly concentrated. Further, global agricultural trade patterns are gradually being reshaped. However, European economies and the United States still dominate the power of network control, with a clear 'core-edge' hierarchy. Among the factors influencing the global agricultural trade network, differences in arable land areas, agricultural product prices, geographical distances, and financial institutions have proven important. However, their influence varies. Compared to the differences in the endowments of other factors, the comparative advantage of agricultural trade in various nodes worldwide comes more from the arable land areas. The greater the difference in agricultural prices, the closer are the trade ties between nodes. Differences in geographical distance have proven conducive to establishing agricultural trade relations. Finally, the greater the difference in financial systems, the greater the likelihood that agricultural trade links will occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover change has been identified as an important cause or driving force of global climate change and is a significant research topic. Over the past few decades, global land-cover mapping has progressed, however, long time-series global land-cover change monitoring data are still sparse, especially at 30-m resolution. In this study, GLC_FCS30D is described as the first global 30-m land-cover dynamic monitoring dataset, containing 35 land-cover subcategories and covering the period of 1985-2022 with 26 time-steps (maps updated every five years before 2000 and annually after 2000). GLC_FCS30D has been developed using continuous change detection and all available Landsat imagery based on the Google Earth Engine platform. In specific, we first take advantage of the continuous change-detection model and full time-series Landsat observations to capture the time-points of changed pixels and identify the temporally stable areas. Then, we apply a spatiotemporal refinement method to derive the globally distributed and high-confidence training samples from these temporally stable areas. Next, locally adaptive classification models are used to update the land-cover information for the changed pixels, and a temporal-consistency optimization algorithm is adopted to improve their temporal stability and suppress some false changes. Further, the GLC_FCS30D product is validated using 84,526 globally distributed validation samples in 2020 and achieves an overall accuracy of 80.88 % (±0.27 %) for the basic classification system (10 major land-cover types) and 73.24 % (±0.30 %) for the LCCS level-1 validation system (17 LCCS land-cover types). Meanwhile, two third-party time-series validation datasets in the United States and Europe Union are also collected for analyzing accuracy variations, and the results show that the GLC_FCS30D offers significant stability for time-series accuracy variation and achieves the mean accuracies of 79.50 % (±0.50 %) and 81.91 % (±0.09 %) over the two regions. Last, we conclude the global land-cover change information from GLC_FCS30D dataset, namely, the forest and cropland variations dominate global land cover change over past 37 years, and net loss of forests reaches about 2.5 million km2 and net gain in cropland area is approximately 1.3 million km2. Therefore, the novel GLC_FCS30D is an accurate time-series land-cover dynamic monitoring product benefiting from its diverse classification system, high spatial resolution and the long time span of 1985-2022, thus, it will effectively support global climate change research and promote sustainable development analysis. The GLC_FCS30D datasets are available via https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8239305 (Liu et al, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A preliminary miRNA screening showed that expression levels of rno-miRNA-27a-3p were significantly increased in the serum and brain tissues of rats undergoing cerebral ischemia. In recent years, there is evidence of the protective capacity of the saponins extracted from panax ginseng and its primary active ingredient ginsenosideRg1oncerebral ischemic injury. Methods: Fetal rat neurons (FRNs) were cultured in glucose-and-serumfree medium and exposed to hypoxia to establish a cerebral ischemia model in vitro (oxygen and glucose deprivation model, OGD). Antioxidant indexes (CAT, SOD), inflammatory markers (MPO, TNF-a and IL-6), and the expression of apoptosis and proliferation associated proteins (NF kB-p65, Caspase 3-cleaved, BCL-2) were examined. Results: Pre-treatment of Rg1 (30-100 µg/mL) could effectively inhibit the decline of antioxidant indexes (CAT, SOD) and increase in inflammatory markers (MPO, TNF-a and IL-6), and effectively inhibited the apoptosis in FRNs induced by OGD in a gradient-dependent manner. The mechanism analysis showed that the role of Rg1 in protecting against ischemia-induced neuron damage depends on its indirect up-regulation of PPAR protein via suppression of rnomiRNA- 27a-3p. Moreover, these effects of Rg1 could be reversed by exogenous rno-miRNA-27a-3p and PPAR gene silencing in FRNs exposed to OGD. Conclusion: To summarize, our study demonstrates that Rg1 could effectively attenuate neuronal damage caused by cerebral ischemia via the rno-miRNA-27a-3p/PPARγ pathway. Further, clarification of the novel mechanism will certainly improve our previous understanding of the role of Rg1 and enhancing its level in treatments for alleviating ischemic brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the time-consuming and laborious problem of manual winding and unwinding water pipes by field workers during irrigation or pesticide spraying in agricultural production, an automatic pipe winding machine for winding and unwinding water pipes was designed. The guiding mechanism, pipe winding mechanism, and pipe arrangement mechanism of the pipe winding machine are designed, and the automatic deviation correction control method of pipe arrangement based on PID and the constant tension control method of pipe winding and unwinding is put forward, and the control system of the automatic pipe winding machine is developed. By making a prototype of an automatic pipe winding machine, the effects of pipe winding and unwinding and the constant tension control of the automatic winding machine are tested and analyzed. The test results show that under the condition of 4.0 km/h speed, the maximum angle error of the automatic pipe winding machine is 3.32°, the average absolute error is 0.95°, and the water pipes are arranged neatly and tightly. The maximum relative error of the water pipe tension is 9.3%, and the maximum relative error under the 0~4.0 km/h velocity step variable condition is 16.3%. The speed of the pipe winding and unwinding can adapt to the change of the vehicle's speed automatically, and the tension of the pipe is within a reasonable range. The performance of the pipe arrangement and pipe coiling of the automatic pipe winding machine can meet the operating requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of 2-methylfuran into diesel has been studied extensively to deal with the fossil energy crisis and reduce pollutant emissions. However, the chemical reaction mechanism of the engine combustion model related to 2-methylfuran is rarely reported. In this study, a reduced 2-methylfuran chemical reaction mechanism was developed by the directed relation graph with error propagation, reaction path analysis, sensitivity analysis and rate of production analysis. Then it was coupled with a diesel mechanism, and the pre-exponential factor A of the Arrhenius equation was adjusted for specific reactions to finally form a reduced 2-methylfuran-diesel mechanism containing 55 species and 190 reactions for application in combustion modelling under engine related conditions. Based on the experimental data in the literature, the predicted ignition delay time and species mole fractions by the mechanism were validated. Also, the 3-D simulation data was compared with the test data of cylinder pressure and heat release rate from a single-cylinder diesel engine under different working conditions. The simulation results of the mechanism with certain stability and accuracy are basically consistent with the experimental data and can be used to analyze the characteristics of 2-methylfuran-diesel combustion on Diesel engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may perturb proteostasis and activates the unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR activation is frequently observed in cancer cells and is believed to fuel cancer progression. Here, we report that one of the three UPR sensors, ATF6a, was associated with prostate cancer (PCa) development, while both genetic and pharmacological inhibition of ATF6a impaired the survival of castration-resistance PCa (CRPC) cells. Transcriptomic analyses identified the molecular pathways deregulated upon ATF6a depletion, and also discovered considerable disparity in global gene expression between ATF6a knockdown and Ceapin-A7 treatment. In addition, combined analyses of human CRPC bulk RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) public datasets confirmed that CRPC tumors with higher ATF6a activity displayed higher androgen receptor (AR) activity, proliferative and neuroendocrine (NE) like phenotypes, as well as immunosuppressive features. Lastly, we identified a 14-gene set as ATF6a NE gene signature with encouraging prognostic power. In conclusion, our results indicate that ATF6a is correlated with PCa progression and is functionally relevant to CRPC cell survival. Both specificity and efficacy of ATF6a inhibitors require further refinement and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effects of Sini San (SNS) on breast cancer (BC), and the mechanism of action. Methods: MDA-MB-231 and SK-BR-3 cells were used as breast cancer cell models. Cell viability, migration, and invasion were determined by CCK-8, Transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. SNS mechanism of action and its anti-cancer effect were investigated by network pharmacological analysis, and further verified by Immunoblot. Results: Sini San inhibited the proliferation of the breast cancer (BC) cells., and also suppressed the migration as well as the invasion of BC cells, and also restrained the angiogenesis of BC cells. In performing the network pharmacological analysis of Sini Powder in the treatment of BC, 337 drugdisease targets were obtained. PPI network was established through String, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the target sites. KEGG analysis showed that genes were enriched in HIF-1 and VEGF pathways. Conclusion: Sini San suppressed cell migration as well as angiogenesis via the HIF-1/VEGF pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. On the basis of inheriting the classical aesthetic orientation of Japanese literature, contemporary Japanese literature changes the creative methods of traditional Japanese writers, strives to transcend the national limitations of Japanese literature, and strives to capture literary materials with a "modern feel." Combined with modern western literary techniques to express the "modern self," and integrating popular literature with pure literature, Japanese writers created a "healing" literature that is popular all over the world. There is some value in exploring the correlation between Japanese literature and the influence of psychotherapy. Method. In this paper, an equation diagnosis algorithm based on iterative learning for a class of linear discrete systems is studied, and the existing discrete iterative learning diagnostics are improved. We exchange the order of time domain and iterative domain to achieve the purpose of point-by-point equation diagnosis. On this basis, a virtual influence initial value estimation algorithm with a sliding window is proposed. The impact that has not been diagnosed is estimated and used as the initial value of the impact, so as to reduce the number of iterations and improve the efficiency of equation diagnosis. This paper takes the public and readers as different perspectives, based on the use and satisfaction theory and prospect theory, and uses interviews and questionnaires to study the communication effect of Japanese literature from the three dimensions of cognition, emotion, and behavior. The cognitive part includes the public's understanding and readers' understanding and reading; the emotional part includes the public's and readers' impressions and emotional attitudes; the behavioral part includes the public's reading situation and readers' behavior changes. Results/Discussion. In the survey of loyal readers, although readers' understanding of Japanese literature has improved compared with the general public, it is not high, and their liking and influence on behavior are slightly lower than the preset level. This paper believes that the existing problems of Japanese literature dissemination are mainly concentrated in three aspects: the market is somewhat biased, which narrows the cognitive scope of users; as a cross-cultural literary work, Japanese literature still makes readers feel that it exists; there is some sense of estrangement, which will affect their enjoyment in reading; as a niche interest, readers lack timely communication and sharing objects after reading, so it is difficult to enhance their sense of identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of oteracil (Oxo) in combination with gimeracil (CDHP) on long-term survival and postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing radical surgery for biliary tract cancer (BTC). Methods: Clinical data for 70 patients who underwent radical surgery for BTC in the Oncology Department of the Changle People's Hospital, Weifang, China from April 2017 to April 2018 were collected. The patients were equally assigned to group A and group B, based on odd or even hospitalization number. After surgery, patients in group A received the combination of Oxo and CDHP, while group B patients received gemcitabine only. Long-term survival and incidence of adverse reactions were compared. Results: Compared with group B, group A had higher total treatment effectiveness (p < 0.05), lower clinical indices (p < 0.05), lower BPI score (p < 0.001) and higher 3-year overall survival (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Combined use of oteracil and gimeracil significantly prolongs the survival time and reduce cancer pain in BTC patients, with minimal toxic and side effects. However, further clinical trials are required prior to application in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

himeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapies targeting CD19 can achieve impressive clinical remission rates in the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, relapse after CD19-CAR T treatment remains a major issue, with CD19 antigen-negative relapse being one of the main reasons. CD22, another antigen expressed in a B-cell lineage-specific pattern, is retained following CD19 loss. Accordingly, we hypothesized that CD22 could represent an alternative target to alleviate or compensate for the ineffectiveness of CD19-CAR T therapy. To this end, we generated camelid-derived CD22 nanobodies, whose smaller size, greater stability, and lower immunogenicity offer better quality than classical antibodies, and we used them to construct third-generation CD22-CARs containing 4-1BB and ICOS co-stimulatory domains. The novel CD22-CAR T cells exhibited impressive cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo and significantly prolonged the overall survival of tumor-bearing NSG mice. These findings provide the basis for further translational studies employing CD22-CARs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuaries are considered to be among the most biodynamic locations on the globe, where materials are heavily processed by microbes, resulting in high elemental exchange. However, the precise contribution of bacteria in transforming estuarine organic matter has rarely been clarified. In this study, the temporal and spatial distributions of bacterial communities in the surface sediments were investigated at four sites in the Pearl River estuary over a 10-month period. The bacterial communities were affected significantly by salinity and shifted strongly from freshwater sediments (dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria) to saline sediments (dominated by Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria). The abundance of bacteria was best explained by phototroph abundance in sediments compared to total organic carbon (TOC), carbon stable isotope ratios of TOC (d13C-TOC) and phototroph abundance in bottom water. Bacteria presented higher utilization efficiency for sedimental phototroph-derived organic matter in high-salinity (10.6-33.0‰) sediments. Proteobacteria, the most abundant taxa, were considered the main consumer for phototroph-derived organic matter. In conclusion, bacterial communities perform the niche specificities and play a major role in carbon cycling by processing phototroph-derived organic matter in different habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamic simulations reveal that the thermal conductivity of ultrathin carbon nanotube (CNT)(2, 1) is significantly suppressed upon hydrogenation. The addition of hydrogen atoms to two-coordinated carbon atoms lowers the participation ratios of phonon modes, thus indicating that the spatial distribution of phonons becomes localized. Furthermore, the phonon lifetimes are remarkably shortened in hydrogenated CNT(2, 1) (HCNT(2, 1)) compared with those of bare CNT(2, 1). The lowered participation ratios and lifetimes of phonon modes are responsible for the significant reduction of thermal conductivity in HCNT(2, 1). Our study is also helpful for understanding the weakened thermal transport abilities in carbon polymers, namely, the cross links formed between individual polymer chains will hinder the thermal conduction along polymers, even though the single straight carbon polymer has a high and divergent thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fully simultaneous polysomnography (PSG) and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) incorporated with partially synchronized computed tomography (CT) scan were used to investigate the performance of EIT on the monitoring of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurring on the upper airway. The opening and closing of the upper airway will lead to different conductivity distribution which can be visualized through the EIT images. In this study, two rings of 16 electrodes were attached on the upper and lower transverse planes of airway, and the behavior of airway is extracted through the independent component analysis (ICA) algorithm with the reference of airway flow obtained through PSG due to the efficient synchronization. Refereed to the anatomical structures from CT scans, the performance of the EIT in monitoring the sleep disorder will be validated and presented through the reconstructed EIT images on both upper-layer and lower-layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) refers to the precancerous and abnormal changes of the surface cells of the cervix, and the variants of electrical properties of CIN are associated with the premalignant stages of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. This provides the fundamental knowledge and foundation of the feasibility of electrical impedance spectroscopy in the screening and diagnosis of CIN. In this study, an electrical impedance spectroscopy-based multi-electrode probe was brought forward to assist the screening of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia which is cost-effective, high sensitivity, non-invasive, and real-time. The multi-electrode probe was designed to have 2 concentric rings of 8 electrodes (16 in total) and enable the protocol flexibility of current injection and voltage measurements. The conductivity will be recovered using the predesigned current-voltage protocol by the embedded concentration algorithm, and the induced frequency spectrum will be presented to show the frequency-dependent phenomenon of cervical cells when excited at various frequencies. The electrical parameters R, S were extracted from frequency spectra of 141 subjects based on Cole model, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve generated by various variables was analyzed to validate the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy behavioral patterns could modulate organ functions to enhance the body's immunity. However, how exercise regulates antiviral innate immunity remains elusive. Here, we found that exercise promotes type I interferon (IFN-I) production in the liver and enhances IFN-I immune activity of the body. Despite the possibility that many exercise-induced factors could affect IFN-I production, we identified Gpld1 as a crucial molecule, and the liver as the major organ to promote IFN-I production after exercise. Exercise largely loses the efficiency to induce IFN-I in Gpld1-/- mice. Further studies demonstrated that exercise-produced 3-hydroxybutanoic acid (3-HB) critically induces Gpld1 expression in the liver. Gpld1 blocks the PP2A-IRF3 interaction, thus enhancing IRF3 activation and IFN-I production, and eventually improving the body's antiviral ability. This study reveals that exercise improves antiviral innate immunity by linking the liver metabolism to systemic IFN-I activity and uncovers an unknown function of liver cells in innate immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty of the determination of ozone concentration in the air at a workplace by sodium indigo disulfonate spectrophotometry was evaluated. The results show that the expanded uncertainty of ozone concentration U was 0.016 mg/m3, and the main factor affecting the measurement uncertainty of ozone concentration was the uncertainty introduced during sample collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for numerous deaths globally. Long noncoding RNA SNHG1 has presented its protective role in cardiomyocytes previously. Herein, we examined the underlying molecular mechanisms of SNHG1 in cardiac muscle cells from hypoxia and re-oxygenation (H/R) in vitro. Methods: RT-qPCR measured expression of SNHG1, miR-21-5p and miR-30a-5p in rat cardiac muscle cell line HL-1 before and after H/R treatment and cell transfection, which was applied to regulate expression of SNHG1, miR-21-5p and miR-30a-5p for further use. The flow cytometry method was used to compare changes in cellular apoptosis, and cell viability was measured by CCK-8 method. Bioinformatics predicted the bindings ofSNHG1 and miR-21-5p / miR-30a-5p while the luciferase reporter assays further verified this. Results: The outcomes revealedthat SNHG1 was downregulated and meanwhile miR-21-5p /miR-30a- 5p was elevated that enhanced apoptosis and reduced cell viability in HL-1 cells. However, overexpressed SNHG1 inhibited cell apoptosis and increased cell viability brought by H/R. In addition, SNHG1 targeted at miR-21-5p/ miR-30a-5p, which contributed to the inter-regulation in between. Furthermore, interactive experiments revealed that upregulation of miR-21-5p/ miR-30a-5p added to the cell apoptosis which was induced by H/R and partially counteracted by the upregulation of SNHG1. Conclusion: In this study we have demonstrated the protective role of SNHG1 in the moderation of H/R-induced HL-1 apoptosis and viability through suppression of miR-21 -5p/miR-30a-5p. This offers new perspective into the molecular interpretation of cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is the precancerous stage of cervical cancer. Accurate and straightforward CIN screening and subsequent treatment and management of early detected CIN highly reduce the occurrence of cervical cancer, which is the 4th most common cancer among women. Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) has been proposed as a CIN screening method since it is varied in the electrical characteristics depending on the progression of CIN. Before applying the BIS system, including a multi-electrode probe to in-vivo tissue, we wanted to evaluate it on the in-vitro cervical tissues obtained from loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). Unfortunately, the measurement accuracy of in-vitro cervical tissues is highly determined by the size, the presence or absence of mucus, and the condition of the surface of tissue samples. This study presents a brief investigation into the technical issues during the impedance measurements for tissue samples. A few methods, including model fitting, gain adjustment, and saline calibration, have been introduced to check measurement quality using our newly proposed multi-electrode probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overnight polysomnography (PSG) is the gold standard to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using the apnea and hypopnea index (AHI), which is the average number of apnea and hypopnea per hour during sleep. Unfortunately, the single metric of AHI is not sufficient to quantify the severity of sleep disorder when patients with similar AHI have a significantly distinct amount of tidal volume. In this study, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has been utilized to quantitatively evaluate the severity of OSA, which takes account of the tidal volume reduction and duration for sleep-related breathing disorders. We could present that the additional information obtained from EIT during overnight PSG describes a more accurate estimation of the OSA severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of type II alveolar epithelial stem cells (AEC II) for alveolar repair in radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) remains largely unknown, mainly because of AEC II phenotype's spontaneous change in vitro. Cell differentiation status is determined by Lin28 and let-7 miRNAs in see-saw-pattern. Lin28, a repressor of let-7 and a stem cell marker, is activated by ß-catenin. The expression of ß-catenin is regulated by GSK-3ß/TGF-ß1 signaling. To understand the true role of AEC II in RILF, we freshly isolated primary AEC II directly from thoracically irradiated lungs. We then explored the expressions of cell phenotype markers and differentiation regulators in these isolated AEC II to analyze the correlation between GSK-3ß/TGF-ß1/ß-catenin signaling pathway, lin28/let-7 balance, and AEC II phenotypes at different injury phases following irradiation. Results showed that isolated single primary cells displayed AEC II ultrastructural features and proSP-C positive. The gene expressions of prosp-c (an AEC II biomarker) and hopx (an AEC I marker) significantly increased in isolated AEC II during injury repair phase (P < .001 and P < .05) but decreased at end-stage of injury, while mesenchymal markers increased in both isolated AEC II and irradiated lungs. mRNA levels of gsk-3ß, tgf-ß1, and ß-catenin increased in all irradiated AEC II, but more pronounced in the second half of injury phase (P < .05-P < .001). Similarly, the expression of lin28 was also significantly elevated in isolated AEC II at the late phase (P < .05-P < .001). Four let-7 miRNAs were significantly upregulated in all irradiated AEC II groups (P < .05-P < .001). The time-dependent and highly consistent uptrends for four lin28/let-7 ratios in sorted AEC II contrasted to downtrends in irradiated lungs. In conclusion, RILF occurred when GSK-3ß/TGF-ß1 signaling increased ß-catenin levels, which led to the augmentation of AEC II population by elevated lin28/let-7 ratio and the transcription of profibrotic cytokines and factors, thereby inducing AEC II to undergo transdifferentiation into mesenchymal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus-infected (HIVals are disproportionately at risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers, but the magnitude of risk estimates varies widely. We conducted a retrospective study using a large U.S.-based cohort to describe the relationship between HIV infection and incident cervical, oropharyngeal, and anal cancers. Methods: Using 2001-2012 U.S. Medicaid data from 14 states, we matched one HIV+ to three HIV-uninfected (HIV-) enrollees on sex, race, state, age, and year, and followed persons for up to 10 years. We developed Cox proportional hazards models comparing HIV+ to HIV- for time to cancer diagnosis adjusted for demographic and comorbidity attributes. Results: Our cohorts included 443,592 women for the cervical cancer analysis, and 907,348 and 906,616 persons for the oropharyngeal and anal cancer analyses. The cervical cancer cohort had a mean age of 39 years and was 55% Black. The oropharyngeal and anal cancer cohorts were 50% male, had a mean age of 41 years, and were 51% Black. We estimated the following HRs: cervical cancer, 3.27 [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.82-3.80]; oropharyngeal cancer, 1.90 (95% CI, 1.62-2.23; both sexes), 1.69 (95% CI, 1.39-2.04; males), and 2.55 (95% CI, 1.86-3.50; females); and anal cancer, 18.42 (95% CI, 14.65-23.16; both sexes), 20.73 (95% CI, 15.60-27.56; males), and 12.88 (95% CI, 8.69-19.07; females). Conclusions: HIV+ persons were at an elevated risk for HPV-associated cancers, especially anal cancer. Impact: Medicaid claims data corroborate previous estimates based on registries and clinical cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that the Ebola virus (EBOV) infects a wide array of organs and cells yet displays a relative lack of neurotropism, we asked whether a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) expressing the EBOV glycoprotein (GP) might selectively target brain tumors. The mucin-like domain (MLD) of the EBOV GP may enhance virus immune system evasion. Here, we compared chimeric VSVs in which EBOV GP replaces the VSV glycoprotein, thereby reducing the neurotoxicity associated with wild-type VSV. A chimeric VSV expressing the full-length EBOV GP (VSV-EBOV) containing the MLD was substantially more effective and safer than a parallel construct with an EBOV GP lacking the MLD (VSV-EBOVΔMLD). One-step growth, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and Western blotting assessments showed that VSVEBOVΔMLD produced substantially more progeny faster than VSV-EBOV. Using immunodeficient SCID mice, we focused on targeting human brain tumors with these VSV-EBOVs. Similar to the findings of our previous study in which we used an attenuated VSV-EBOV with no MLD that expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) (VSVEBOVΔMLD- GFP), VSV-EBOVΔMLD without GFP targeted glioma but yielded only a modest extension of survival. In contrast, VSV-EBOV containing the MLD showed substantially better targeting and elimination of brain tumors after intravenous delivery and increased the survival of brain tumor-bearing mice. Despite the apparent destruction of most tumor cells by VSV-EBOVΔMLD, the virus remained active within the SCID mouse brain and showed widespread infection of normal brain cells. In contrast, VSV-EBOV eliminated the tumors and showed relatively little infection of normal brain cells. Parallel experiments with direct intracranial virus infection generated similar results. Neither VSV-EBOV nor VSV-EBOVΔMLD showed substantive infection of the brains of normal immunocompetent mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the experimental research on the barrier effect of PTFE membrane on malodorous gases, it was found that PTFE membrane had good gas permeability , and the barrier effect on malodorous gases NH3 and H3S was poor. After a layer ol water lilm was formed on PTFE membrane, it had an cb-vious barrier effect on malodorous gases NH3 and H2S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parotid glands are damaged by oxidative stress and a series of pathophysiological changes after irradiation. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural antioxidant that provides a radioprotective effect against harmful damage from ionizing radiation. The present study aims to explore the protective effects of RA on radiation-induced parotid gland injury and its underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with 15 Gy X-ray and treated with different concentrations of RA (30, 60, and 120 mg/kg) or amifostine (AMI, 250 mg/kg). Saliva secretion function, oxidative stress, apoptosis, the inflammatory response, and fibrosis were determined by the measurement of the salivary flow rate, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, transferase-mediated DUTP Nick end labeling, Western blot, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction, and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Here, we show that RA treatment significantly attenuated reactive oxygen species by a direct hindrance effect and the indirect activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 signaling. Rosmarinic acid not only reduced apoptosis by inhibiting p53/jun N-terminal kinase activation but also reduced parotid gland tissue fibrosis by downregulating inflammatory factor levels. Compared to AMI, RA has the obvious advantages of late efficacy and convenient usage. Moreover, 60 mg/kg is the minimum effective dose of RA. Therefore, RA can potentially be applied as a therapeutic radioprotective agent to treat radiation-induced parotid gland injury in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In electrical impedance tomography (EIT), multiple electrodes are attached around an imaging domain such as the human thorax to inject currents and measure induced boundary voltages. Using the measured boundary voltage data, cross-sectional images of an internal conductivity distribution are reconstructed. Taking advantage of its fast temporal resolution, time-difference EIT can be used for image-based monitoring of physiological functions such as lung ventilation and cardiac blood flow. Among numerous data collection protocols, we assume current injections and voltage measurements between adjacent pairs of electrodes. The measured voltage difference between the jth electrode pair subject to the current injection between the kth electrode pair, for example, changes with time and its time-series is called a voltage channel in this paper. Investigating shapes of voltage channels, a new technique called source consistency EIT (scEIT) is proposed to extract voltage channel data originating from a physiological function or source of interest. The proposed scEIT technique suggests each voltage channel can be expressed up to a scale factor and offset value from a single shape-reference voltage channel when there exists only one time-varying source. When multiple physiological sources exist to concurrently produce correspondingly different conductivity changes, measured voltage channels are influenced by all of the sources. Using the scEIT method, each voltage channel can be expressed as a weighted sum of multiple shape-reference voltage channels of the sources. The proposed scEIT technique is verified through numerical simulations and animal experiments. Future experimental studies of applying the scEIT technique to in vivo human experiments are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies control problems of underactuated mechanical systems with model uncertainties. The control is designed with the method of backstepping. The first-order low-pass filters are used to estimate the unknown quantities and to avoid the "explosion of terms." A novel method is also proposed to implement the control without the knowledge of the control coefficient, which makes the whole process of backstepping control data-driven. The stability of the proposed control in the Lyapunov sense is studied. It is numerically and experimentally validated, and compared with the well-known model-based linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control. The data-driven backstepping control is found to provide comparable performances to that of the LQR control with the advantage of being model-free and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3.0 MeV Ni2+ in the beam doses from 1×1013 to 9×1014 ions/cm2 are implanted into LiNbO3 single crystals at room temperature. After 300 °C annealing for 30 min in air ambient, dark mode measurement is done by the prism-coupling technique. Waveguides from both raised extraordinary index layer and barrier-confined are formed by low and high beam dose implantation, respectively. In the samples implanted by mediate beam doses, a phenomenon of “missing mode” is observed. The experimental results are analyzed and compared with the simulated results from a theoretical model, which is based on the assumption that the change of index induced by implantation is mainly governed by degradation of polarization and reduction of material density. With a fiber probe, the waveguide loss from single transverse magnetic mode is measured, which is about 3 dB/cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a highly conserved cell signaling pathway important for cell life, development and tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that the Hh signaling pathway functions in certain phases of the cell cycle. However, the coordination between Hh signaling and cell cycle control remains poorly understood. Here, we show that polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1), a critical protein kinase regulating many processes during the cell cycle, also regulates Hh signaling by phosphorylating and inhibiting Gli1, a downstream transcription factor of the Hh signaling pathway. Gli1 expression increases along with Hh signaling activation, leading to upregulation of Hh target genes, including cyclin E, during the G1 and S phases. Gli1 is phosphorylated at S481 by Plk1, and this phosphorylation facilitates the nuclear export and binding of Gli1 with its negative regulator Sufu, leading to a reduction in Hh signaling activity. Inhibition of Plk1 kinase activity led to Gli1 maintaining is role in promoting downstream gene expression. Collectively, our data reveal a novel mechanism regarding the crosstalk between Hh signaling and cell cycle control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the unique contributions of the cytokines IL-21 and IL-4 on germinal center (GC) B cell initiation and subsequent maturation in a murine model system. Similar to other reports, we found T follicular helper cell expression of IL-21 begins prior to T follicular helper cell migration into the B cell follicle and precedes that of IL-4. Consistent with this timing, IL-21 signaling has a greater influence on the perifollicular pre-GC B cell transition to the intrafollicular stage. Notably, Bcl6 hi B cells can form in the combined absence of IL-21R- and STAT6-derived signals; however, these nascent GC B cells cease to proliferate and are more prone to apoptosis. When B cells lack either IL-21R or STAT6, aberrant GCs form atypical centroblasts and centrocytes that differ in their phenotypic maturation and costimulatory molecule expression. Thus, IL-4 and IL-21 play nonredundant roles in the phased progression of GC B cell development that can initiate in the combined absence of these cytokine signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the possibility of using visible and near-infrared (VIS/NIR) hyperspectral imaging techniques to discriminate viable and non-viable wheat seeds. Both sides of individual seeds were subjected to hyperspectral imaging (400–1000 nm) to acquire reflectance spectral data. Four spectral datasets, including the ventral groove side, reverse side, mean (the mean of two sides’ spectra of every seed), and mixture datasets (two sides’ spectra of every seed), were used to construct the models. Classification models, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and support vector machines (SVM), coupled with some pre-processing methods and successive projections algorithm (SPA), were built for the identification of viable and non-viable seeds. Our results showed that the standard normal variate (SNV)-SPA-PLS-DA model had high classification accuracy for whole seeds (>85.2%) and for viable seeds (>89.5%), and that the prediction set was based on a mixed spectral dataset by only using 16 wavebands. After screening with this model, the final germination of the seed lot could be higher than 89.5%. Here, we develop a reliable methodology for predicting the viability of wheat seeds, showing that the VIS/NIR hyperspectral imaging is an accurate technique for the classification of viable and non-viable wheat seeds in a non-destructive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of subjective sedation scales using one psychometric scoring system to identify the appropriate scale that is most suitable for clinical care practice. Background: A number of published sedation assessment scales for paediatric patients are currently used to attempt to achieve a moderate depth of sedation to avoid the undesirable effects caused by over- or undersedation. However, there has been no systematic review of these scales. Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, etc., to obtain relevant articles. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated according to the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist. Inclusion criteria: Articles that had been published or were in press and discussed the psychometric properties of sedation scales were included. The population comprised critically ill infants and non-verbal children ranging in age from 0 to 18 years who underwent sedation in an intensive care unit. Findings: Data were independently extracted by two investigators using a standard data extraction checklist: 43 articles were included in this review, and 13 sedation scales were examined. The quality of the psychometric evidence for the Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale was 'very good', with the Comfort Scale having a higher quality (total weighted scores, Comfort Scale=17·3 and Comfort Behaviour Scale=15·5). Conclusions: We suggest that the scales be systematically and comprehensively tested in terms of development method, reliability, validation, feasibility and correlation with clinical outcome. The Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale are useful tools for measuring sedation in paediatric patients. Relevance to clinical practice: Nursing staff should choose one subjective sedation scale that is suitable for assessing paediatric patients' depth of sedation. We recommend the Comfort Scale and Comfort Behaviour Scale as optimal choices if the clinical environment permits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced brain injury. However, existing evidence has also challenged this therapy on its limitations, such as the difficulty for stem cells to survive after transplantation due to the unfavorable microenvironment in the ischemic brain. Herein, we have investigated whether preconditioning of NSCs with adjudin, a small molecule compound, could enhance their survivability and further improve the therapeutic effect for NSC-based stroke therapy. Method: We aimed to examine the effect of adjudin pretreatment on NSCs by measuring a panel of parameters after their transplantation into the infarct area of ipsilateral striatum 24 hours after I/R in mice. Results: We found that pretreatment of NSCs with adjudin could enhance the viability of NSCs after their transplantation into the stroke-induced infarct area. Compared with the untreated NSC group, the adjudin-preconditioned group showed decreased infarct volume and neurobehavioral deficiency through ameliorating blood–brain barrier disruption and promoting the expression and secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. We also employed H2O2-induced cell death model in vitro and found that adjudin preconditioning could promote NSC survival through inhibition of oxidative stress and activation of Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: This study showed that adjudin could be used to precondition NSCs to enhance their survivability and improve recovery in the stroke model, unveiling the value of adjudin for stem cell-based stroke therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The initial conversion pathways of linkages and their linked monomer units in lignin pyrolysis were investigated comprehensively by ReaxFF MD simulations facilitated by the unique VARxMD for reaction analysis. The simulated molecular model contains 15?920 atoms and was constructed on the basis of Adler's softwood lignin model. The simulations uncover the initial conversion ratio of various linkages and their linked aryl monomers. For linkages and their linked monomer aryl rings of α-O-4, β-O-4 and α-O-4 & β-5, the Cα/Cβ ether bond cracking dominates the initial pathway accounting for at least up to 80% of their consumption. For the linkage of β-β & γ-O-α, both the Cα-O ether bond cracking and its linked monomer aryl ring opening are equally important. Ring-opening reactions dominate the initial consumption of other 4-O-5, 5-5, β-1, β-2, and β-5 linkages and their linked monomers. The ether bond cracking of Cα-O and Cβ-O occurs at low temperature, and the aryl ring-opening reactions take place at relatively high temperature. The important intermediates leading to the stable aryl ring opening are the phenoxy radicals, the bridged five-membered and three-membered rings and the bridged six-membered and three-membered rings. In addition, the reactivity of a linkage and its monomer aryl ring may be affected by other linkages. The ether bond cracking of α-O-4 and β-O-4 linkages can activate its neighboring linkage or monomer ring through the formed phenoxy radicals as intermediates. The important intermediates revealed in this article should be of help in deepening the understanding of the controlling mechanism for producing aromatic chemicals from lignin pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illicit drugs constitute a class of emerging contaminants that has been drawing significant concern due to its potent pharmacological and biological activities. In this study, an in situ passive sampling approach that uses diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) was successfully tested for measuring ketamine (KET), methamphetamine (METH), and amphetamine (AMP) in water. The diffusion coefficients of KET, METH, and AMP in diffusive gel were (8.13 ± 0.12) x 10-6, (8.55 ± 0.14) x 10-6, and (7.72 ± 0.18) x 10-6 cm² s[sup -1] at 22 °C, respectively. The capacities of an XAD binding gel for KET, METH, and AMP were 92, 57, and 45 μg per binding gel disc, which were suitable for long-term environmental monitoring. The DGT measurement of these drugs was not influenced by the pH (4 to 9) and the ionic strength (0.001 M - 0.1 M) and unaffected by the water flow, demonstrating the effectiveness of the XAD-based DGT for the in situ monitoring of illicit drugs. DGT samplers were deployed in a WWTP influent and natural rivers in Beijing, China. The ng L-1 levels of the drugs were high in the wastewater influent and low in river waters, with an insignificant fluctuation during the seven-day monitoring. The DGT-measured concentrations were comparable to the average concentrations determined by SPE method, which suggested that the average data measured by DGT could be substituted for high-frequency grab sampling. This study has demonstrated systematically for the first time that DGT is effective and accurate for monitoring illicit drugs in wastewater and surface waters, and provides a powerful tool to investigating the presence, transport, and environmental behaviors of these drugs in the aquatic ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Licochalcone A (LicA), a flavonoid isolated from the famous Chinese medicinal herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, has wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. In this study, the anti-cancer effects and potential mechanisms of LicA in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells were studied. LicA decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in NSCLC cells. LicA inhibited lung cancer cells growth by blocking cell cycle progression at the G2/M transition and inducing apoptosis. LicA treatment decreased the expression of MDM2, Cyclin B1, Cdc2 and Cdc25C in H460 and A549 cancer cell lines. In addition, LicA induced caspase-3 activation and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage, which displayed features of apoptotic signals. Furthermore, LicA increased the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related proteins, such as p-EIF2α and ATF4. These data provide evidence that LicA has the potential to be used in the treatment of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining tailings as a raw material for preparing autoclaved bricks have attracted much attention. The tailings subjected to milling always have the characteristic of fine granularity. However, the proportion of the fine aggregates in autoclaved bricks was very low using the current gradation formula, which impeded the utilization of the tailings. In this work, a novel model of aggregate gradation for autoclaved bricks from tailings has been presented, which was established through the following steps: (1) 91 groups of autoclaved bricks with different aggregate gradations were prepared, with the proportion of the fine aggregates (-0.15 mm) in the range of 40% to 100%; and (2) the particle size distributions of the finest and coarsest aggregates in the high-strength region were fitted to establish the model. The proportion of the fine aggregates calculated by the model could increase significantly compared with that using the current formula. To verify the novel model, autoclaved bricks from iron ore tailings were prepared using the model, with their mechanical and freezing resistance properties meeting the requirement of the highest-strength level. It was observed by SEM that the autoclaved bricks had compact structures with a few small pores owing to the reasonable aggregate gradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg and Tfh cells play important roles in schistosomiasis. Th9 cells secrete IL-9 as a signature cytokine and contribute to several classes of inflammatory disease. However, the effects of Th9 cells in schistosomiasis are unknown. We aimed to explore the dynamic changes and potential roles of Th9 cells in the pathogenesis of hepatic egg granulomatous inflammation in mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. Methods: Twenty mice with S. japonicum infection and five normal controls (NC) were used as models. The average areas of egg granulomas were estimated by hematoxylin-eosin (H & E) staining. Hepatic IL-9 and transcription factor PU.1 levels were detected by immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry techniques were used to analyze the proportions of Th9 cells. With the help of ELISA, serum levels of IL-9 were examined. Results: The egg granulomas began to form from four weeks after infection and continued to develop. In parallel with the development of egg granulomas, the hepatic levels of IL-9 and PU.1 increased very slowly during the first four weeks post-infection and increased rapidly thereafter. Moreover, the proportions of splenic Th9 cells and levels of serum IL-9 had similar developmental trends with the egg granulomas. Conclusion: The proliferation of Th9 cells and levels of IL-9 were significantly higher in S. japonicum-infected mice compared to NC. In addition, dynamic changes of Th9 and IL-9 were synchronous with the developmental trend of hepatic egg granulomatous inflammation, suggesting that Th9 cells might be a new subset in the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Development of biofuels is considered as one of the important ways to replace conventional fossil energy and mitigate climate change. However, rapid increase of biofuel production could cause other environmental concerns in China such as water stress. This study is intended to evaluate the life-cycle water footprints (WF) of biofuels derived from several potential non-edible feedstocks including cassava, sweet sorghum, and Jatropha curcas in China. Different water footprint types including blue water, green water, and grey water are considered in this study. Based on the estimated WF, water deprivation impact and water stress degree on local water environment are further analyzed for different regions in China. Results: On the basis of the feedstock resource availability, sweet sorghum, cassava, and Jatropha curcas seeds are considered as the likely feedstocks for biofuel production in China. The water footprint results show that the feedstock growth is the most water footprint intensive process, while the biofuel conversion and transportation contribute little to total water footprints. Water footprints vary significantly by region with climate and soil variations. The life-cycle water footprints of cassava ethanol, sweet sorghum ethanol, and Jatropha curcas seeds biodiesel were estimated to be 73.9-222.2, 115.9-210.4, and 64.7-182.3 L of water per MJ of biofuel, respectively. Grey water footprint dominates the life-cycle water footprint for each type of the biofuels. Development of biofuels without careful water resource management will exert significant impacts on local water resources. The water resource impacts vary significantly among regions. For example, based on blue and grey water consumption, Gansu province in China will suffer much higher water stress than other regions do due to limited available water resources and large amount of fertilizer use in that province. In term of blue water, Shandong province is shown with the most severe water stress issue, followed by Gansu province, which is attributed to the limited water resources in both provinces. Conclusions: By considering feedstock resource distribution, biofuel production potentials, and estimated water footprints, this study provides insight into the impact of biofuel production on the local water environment in China. Biofuel development policies need to be carefully designed for the sustainable development of biofuels in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were melt compounded with a poly(ethylene vinyl acetate)/thermoplastic polyurethane (EVA/TPU) blend to prepare EVA/TPU/MWCNT blend nanocomposites. The effects of the blend morphology and selective localization of MWCNTs on the dielectric properties including dielectric constant and loss were systematically investigated. The results show that when the blend exhibits sea-island morphology accompanying MWCNT selective localization in island droplets, the dielectric constant was increased to 1200@100 Hz with addition of 5 wt % MWCNTs; in addition, the growth of dielectric loss is suppressed and the values of dielectric loss always remain around 1 with varying the loading of MWCNTs. Furthermore, based on the investigations of rheological percolation testing, morphological observation, and selective localization, the microcapacitor model was evoked to explain the underlying mechanism for the improvement of the dielectric constant for the blend with sea-island morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii, which was induced by cefepime (FEP), cefoperazone-sulbactam (SCF), tazobactam (TZP), levofloxacin (LEV), amikacin (AK), imipenem (IPM), and ciprofloxacin (CIP), in vitro. Multi-step drug resistance selection of 16 A. baumannii strains was performed using seven antibacterial agents (FEP, TZP, CIP, AK, IPM, SCF, and LEV). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using the agar dilution method. Random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the genotypes and the carrying rates of aac(3)-I, aac(6')-I, ant(3)-I, aph(3)-Via, OXA-23, OXA-24, AmpC, TEM-1, metallo-β-lactamase gene (IMP), armA, rmtA, rmtB, parC, gyrA and adeB. Expression of adeB was determined using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Semi-qRT-PCR). Among the 16 strains, 15 strains with drug resistance (93.8%) were obtained following in vitro induction. Notable increases (8- to 128-fold) were noted in the MIC and different genotypes were showed in RAPD of the strains before and after performing the drug resistant test. PCR data revealed significant differences (P<0.05) between the carrying rates of resistant genes before and after drug induction, with the exception of rmtA, OXA-24, TEM-1, and IMP. Significant increases were demonstrated in the comparative adeB grayscale in strains that underwent drug induction when compared with the sensitive strains (55.69±43.11% vs. 10.08±26.35%; P=0.001). Findings of the present study suggest that the active efflux pump, adeB, has an important role in multidrug resistance of the A. baumannii induced by antibacterial agents in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture products acquired from passive satellite missions have been widely applied in environmental processes. A primary challenge for the use of soil moisture products from passive sensors is their reliability. It is crucial to evaluate the reliability of those products before they can be routinely used at a global scale. In this paper, we evaluated the Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR2) radiometer soil moisture products against in situ measurements collected from American networks with four statistics, including the mean difference (MD), the root mean squared difference (RMSD), the unbiased root mean square error (ubRMSE) and the correlation coefficient (R). The evaluation results of SMAP and AMSR2 soil moisture products were compared. Moreover, the triple collocation (TC) error model was used to assess the error among AMSR2, SMAP and in situ data. The monthly average and daily AMSR2 and SMAP soil moisture data were analyzed. Different spatial series, temporal series and combined spatial-temporal analysis were carried out. The results reveal that SMAP soil moisture retrievals are generally better than AMSR2 soil moisture data. The remotely sensed retrievals show the best agreement with in situ measurements over the central Great Plains and cultivated crops throughout the year. In particular, SMAP soil moisture data shows a stable pattern for capturing the spatial distribution of surface soil moisture. Further studies are required for better understanding the SMAP soil moisture product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetically separable nano-BaFe2O4 was prepared as an effective catalyst for microwave (MW)-induced catalytic degradation (MICD) of crystal violet (CV), and its catalytic degradation mechanism and process were investigated. The nano-BaFe2O4 displayed enhanced catalytic activity for CV degradation under MW irradiation. The intermediates and final products were investigated by HPLC-MS and ion chromatography (IC), respectively. By combining the band structure and radical trapping studies, holes (h+), superoxide radicals (•O2-), and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were identified as the main active species in the reaction. The possible catalytic mechanism and process were proposed. The results showed that the catalytic activities of catalyst depend not only on its element constituents but also on chemical structure and energy band structure. This work provided some essential information on the catalytic behavior and mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous studies, single-layer electrical impedance tomography (EIT) combined with polysomnography (PSG) has been proposed to detect the upper airway narrowing or closure during sleep noninvasively. Unfortunately, by generating the cross-sectional EIT image at one level, single-layer EIT fails to identify the collapse site in terms of the retropalatal and retroglossal levels of the upper airway, which is of great importance in the clinical practice. In this study, double-layer EIT has been proposed to image the obstruction site of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It could provide beneficial supplementary information to facilitate the personalized surgical procedure for OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many patients rapidly develop hypotension during hemodialysis, causing great difficulties in continuing clinical treatments. When this intradialytic hypotension happens with some symptoms, clinicians prescribe therapeutic interventions like decreasing ultrafiltration rate (UF-) and injecting normal saline (S+) based on personal clinical experience. However, these kinds of interventions have a different response for each patient and could reduce the effectiveness of dialysis. This study attempted non-invasive real-time monitoring of hemodynamic parameters using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). We investigated the influence of prescribed interventions on hemodynamic changes during hemodialysis. Significant differences were observed in the EIT data before and after each intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The screening of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) aims to provide a chance for early detection and treatment of the pathological behavior of cervical tissues before it progresses to cervical cancer. In this study, a bioimpedance spectroscopy-based multi-electrode probe has been developed to measure the complex impedance of the cervix and adopted for the screening of CIN. In addition, the classical Cole-Cole model has been adopted to extract electrical parameters and thereby generate geometrical parameters with respect to cervical tissues, which were afterward exploited for CIN identification. Results show that the proposed features demonstrate a significant difference among different groups of CIN and thus provide a real-time, non-invasive, and cost-effective technique for screening CIN with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]